The Philippines’ President Benigno Aquino III on February 28 announced that his country and Malaysia have agreed to address disputes in the East Sea peacefully in line with the rule of law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Philippines leader made the remark at a joint press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Both nations believe that compliance with the rule of law, positive engagement and sincere dialogue are significant factors to build a truly prosperous and peaceful Southeast Asian region, he added.

For his part, PM Najib Razak revealed that the two leaders reviewed many aspects of the two sides’ defence relations, particularly education and training exchanges between the armed forces and defence officials.

The Malaysian leader also said both sides are examining the possibility of establishing a hotline in an effort to avoid any security breach between them.

Aquino is on a two-day visit to Malaysia, which began on February 27. This is his first trip to the country since he took office as the President of the Philippines in 2010.-VNA